Tactician
Joining allies into a single cohesive unit, the tactician uses his psionic power to unlock the potential of others, as well as himself. This master of strategy tends to focus his abilities on the insight of clairsentience and the improved communication of telepathy to know where and when to act and ensure his companions are best situated to react. Role: A tactician is at his strongest when his companions cooperate with his instructions. He is a strategist and a battle leader, issuing orders and expecting them to be followed. He has decent combat ability, but relies primary upon his manifesting ability. Alignment: '''Any. '''Hit Die: d8 Starting Wealth: 4d6 x 10 (140 gp.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less. Class Skills: '''The tactician’s class skills are Autohypnosis (Wis), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (engineering) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (psionics) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str), Use Magic Device (Cha). Skill Ranks at each Level: 4 + Int modifier. '''Class Features All of the following are class features of the tactician. Weapon and Armor Proficiencies Tacticians are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of light and medium armor, and with shields (except tower shields). Powers Points/Day A tactician’s ability to manifest powers is limited by the power points he has available. His base daily allotment of power points is given on Table: The Tactician. In addition, he receives bonus power points per day if he has a high Intelligence score (see Table: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Power Points) His race may also provide bonus power points per day, as may certain feats and items. Powers Known A tactician begins play knowing one tactician power of your choice. Each time he achieves a new level, he unlocks knowledge of a new power. Choose the powers known from the tactician power list. (Exception: The feat Expanded Knowledge does allow a tactician to learn powers from the lists of other classes.) A tactician can manifest any power that has a power point cost equal to or lower than his manifester level. The total number of powers a tactician can manifest in a day is limited only by his daily power points. A tactician simply knows his powers; they are ingrained in his mind. He does not need to prepare them (in the way that some spellcasters prepare their spells), though he must get a good night’s sleep each day to regain all his spent powers. The Difficulty Class for saving throws against the tacticians powers is 10 + the power’s level + the tactician’s Intelligence modifier. Maximum Power Level Known A tactician begins play with the ability to learn 1st-level powers. As he attains higher levels, he may gain the ability to master more complex powers. To learn or manifest a power, a tactician must have an Intelligence score of at least 10 + the power’s level. Collective (Su) A tactician learns to use psionic power to connect willing minds through an internal network that strengthens their psychic bonds. As a standard action, a tactician can join any number of willing targets into his collective (up to his limit, see below). The tactician must have line of sight to each target, each target must have a Wisdom score of at least 1, and all targets must be within Medium range (100 ft. + 10 ft. per class level). The collective can contain up to his key ability modifier or half his tactician level, whichever is higher. The tactician is always considered a member of his own collective, and does not count against this limit. The tactician can choose to remove a member as a free action on his turn, and any member can voluntarily leave the collective as a free action on their turn. Any member whose Wisdom drops to zero or who moves out of range of the collective is automatically removed. If a member enters a null psionics field, the connection to the collective is suppressed until the member leaves the field. A member who leaves the collective for any reason immediately loses any and all benefits they may have gained from being a member. A tactician is aware of the status of his collective and can, roughly, sense the presence of each member, although beyond telling if such a creature is still a member, this has no mechanical benefit until higher levels (see telepathy below). A tactician can manifest certain powers through his collective. If a tactician power specifies one or more willing targets (or is harmless) and has a range greater than personal, he can manifest this power on a member of his collective regardless of the range of the actual power. All other non-range restrictions still apply. He may manifest any power with the Network Descriptor this way, regardless of their actual ranges or targets. If he is capable of manifesting powers or casting spells from a different class (as is the case for a multiclass tactician), any compatible spell or power with a range greater than touch can also be used through the collective. If a member of the collective dies, the member is removed from the collective and the tactician must make a Fortitude save (DC 15) or lose 1 power point for every Hit Die of the fallen member or be sickened for an equal number of rounds. At 15th level, a tactician’s collective range is limitless on the same plane as the tactician At 19th level, a tactician’s range reaches even across other planes and dimensions. Coordinated Strike (Su) The tacician is able to direct his allies to coordinating their attacks upon a single target to devastating effect. As a swift action, the tactician can declare one target within his line of sight as the primary foe. All members of the tactician’s collective, including the tactician himself gain a +1 insight bonus to attacks against the primary foe until the beginning of the tactician’s next turn. At 5th level and every four levels thereafter, this bonus increases by 1. This ability may be used a number of times per day equal to 3 + the tacticians Intelligence modifier. Lesser Strategies Tacticians learn minor powers they can use at will to aid them in coordination and tactics. The tactician gains 3 talents from the tactician talent list. Spirit of Many (Su) A tactician of 2nd level gains special abilities when manifesting powers with the Network descriptor. He can manifest these powers on any member of his collective, even if they are out of the power’s range or would normally be immune to the power. Whenever a tactician manifests a power with the Network descriptor targeting only members of his collective, the power loses the mind-affecting descriptor (if it had it) and is treated as a supernatural ability (bypassing Power Resistance and becoming immune to dispel attempts), although it still provokes an attacks of opportunity to manifest as normal. Network powers manifest only on members of the collective never allow saving throws – their saving throw entry becomes “None,” although if the power specifies a subsequent saving throw, subjects attempt those saves normally. The tactician also adds the following augment to all powers with the network descriptor: * Augment: For every additional power point you spent, you can choose an additional target, so long as the target is a member of your collective. Telepathy (Su) When a tactician reaches 3rd level, all willing members of his collective (including the tactician himself) can communicate with each other telepathically, even if they do not share a common language. Psionic creatures who are willing members in a tactician’s collective (including the tactician himself) may manifest unknown powers known by another willing psionic creature in the collective as if they were making physical contact. Strategy (Su) At 4th level, and every three tactician levels thereafter, a tactician learns a new tactical strategy, granting him special abilities in combat. Unless specified otherwise, using a strategy is a swift action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Strategies are often orders or suggestions that the tactician issues to members of his collective. A tactician may not direct a strategy at himself unless a strategy specifies otherwise. Strategies may be used a number of times per day equal to 3 + the tactician’s Charisma modifier. Tactician strategies can be found here. Improved Share (Su) A tactician learns special techniques when manifesting powers with the Shared descriptor. Beginning at 5th level, the tactician may maintain two powers with the Shared descriptor at any time instead of only one. Should he manifest a third power with the Shared descriptor, the tactician can choose which of the maintained Shared powers ends immediately. Every six tactician levels thereafter (11th, 17th), the tactician may maintain an additional power with the Shared descriptor before a maintained power with the Shared descriptor expires. Coordinate (Su) At 6th level, as long as the tactician maintains psionic focus, he may share any one teamwork feat he has with one member of his collective within line of sight and line of effect. Declaring which member of the collective gains the teamwork feat is a free action that can only be done once per round. The ally’s positioning and actions must still meet the prerequisites listed in the teamwork feat to receive the listed bonus, but the ally need not meet the feat prerequisites to gain the benefit. Teamwork Feat At 6th level, and every six levels thereafter, the tactician gains a bonus feat in addition to those gained from normal advancement. These bonus feats must be selected from those listed as teamwork feats. The tactician must meet the prerequisites of the selected bonus feat. By spending one hour in meditation, the tactician can change anyone teamwork feat he has already learned for another teamwork feat whose prerequisites he meets. In effect, the tactician loses the bonus feat in exchange for a new one. Echo Effect (Su) At 8th level, the tactician gains the ability to copy non-permanent magical and psionic effects within his collective. If a member of the collective is affected by a magical or psionic effect with a duration greater than 1 round, the tactician can echo it onto another member of his collective. To do so the tactician must first identify the power properly (see the Spellcraft skill description). Echoing a magical or psionic effect is a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity and costs the tactician a number of power points equal to the original effect’s caster or manifester level (whichever applies). As a supernatural ability, a tactician is permitted to spend more power points than his manifest level on this effect. The new target must be legal for the effect in question (for instance, if you attempt to echo an unaugmented Empathic Connection on a dog, the echo will fail). If the effect allows a saving throw, the new target is entitled to a saving throwwhen the effect is echoed (same DC as the original power). Only the basic effect and augmentation are echoed: metamagic and metapsionic feats do not echo. The echo has all the same decisions made as the original. For example, Specified Energy Adaption echoes would guard against the same energy type, while a 5pp Empathic Connection (extended duration) could not be echoed as a 5pp Empathic Connection (affects aberrations). The echo takes effect at the same caster or manifester level as the originator. When the original ends or leaves the collective, all echoes of it also end. An echo can be dispelled as normal without terminating the original. A tactician can spend power points to augment this supernatural ability. For every 4 additional power points spent, the echo may reach an additional target. If the augment would raise the cost of the echo above the tactician’s manifester level, the echo attempt fail (although he may still attempt to echo it onto a single target). The tactician knows if an effect is beyond his ability to echo this way when he identifies it. Pooled Knowledge (Su) Once a tactician has reached 14th level, he has learned to share not only strategic knowledge over the collective, but even knowledge of manifesting. By expending psionic focus, the tactician may attempt to manifest any power known by a member of his collective. If the power is not on the tactician power list, the tactician must make a successful Spellcraft check (DC 20 + the power’s level) to see if he understands the power. If the Spellcraft check fails, the attempt fails and psionic focus is still expended, but no power points are spent. If the check is successful, the tactician may immediately manifest the power. Using this ability uses an action equal to the manifesting time of the power to be manifested. This ability may not be used to manifest powers with a manifesting time longer than one round. Master Strategist (Su) Upon achieving 20th level, a tactician has learned how to turn his collective into a truly cohesive battle unit. The tactician may use two daily uses of his strategy ability and grant all of his allies an insight bonus on attack and damage rolls, armor class, and saving throws equal to his intelligence for two minutes. This ability may not be used if the tactician is not engaged in combat. Favored Class Bonuses * Blue: Add +1/3 to the tactician’s saving throws versus mind-affecting effects. * Decataur: Add +1/4 to the tactician’s strategy daily uses. * Dromite: Add +1/2 to the maximum number of creatures allowed in the tactician’s collective * Duergar: Add a +1/2 bonus on concentration checks when manifesting tactician powers. * Dwarf: Add a +1/2 bonus on concentration checks when manifesting tactician powers. * Entoli: '''Add +1/4 to the tactician’s daily strategy uses. * '''Forgeborn: '''Add +1/2 to concentration checks when manifesting tactician powers. * '''Gnome: The tactician gains 1 psionic talent. * Grendle: '''Add +1/4 daily uses of tactician’s strategy ability. * '''Half-elf: Add +1/2 to the maximum number of creatures allowed in the tactician’s collective. * Human: Add +1/4 to the tactician’s strategy daily uses. * Maenad: Add +1/2 to the Maenad’s manifester level when manifesting powers that grant a bonus to AC * Noral: '''Add +1/2 to the maximum number of creatures allowed in the collective. * '''Ophiduan: The tactician’s level is treated as 1 higher for the purpose of his strategy’s benefits when using strategies against flat-footed opponents. * Rana: '''Add +1/3 to the daily uses of the tactician’s coordinated strike ability. * '''Thrallspawn: '''Add +1/3 to the tactician’s saving throws versus mind-affecting effects. * '''Woodborn: '''Add +1/4 to the tactician’s strategy daily uses. * '''Xeph: Add +1/3 to the tactician’s saving throws versus mind-affecting effects. Archetypes Amplifier Battle Medic Commander Fear Projector Metanexus Soul Conductor Swarmer (Dromite) Unifier (Forgeborn) Category:Source: Ultimate Psionics